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This report, “WHO REPRESENTS RURAL AMERICA? An Analysis of Rural Development Needs, Policy, and Institutions,” by Joshua Stein (November 1, 1992), evaluates the effectiveness of the Rural Economic Policy Program (REPP) of the Aspen Institute and explores the need for a new rural development organization.
The report highlights that:
- Rural America is vast and diverse, yet often experiences economic hardship, including high poverty and underemployment rates, and a decline in social infrastructure.
- Government policy addressing rural issues is generally inadequate due to an urban bias among policymakers, a fragmented and uncoordinated federal approach, and the overwhelming dominance of the agricultural lobby over broader rural development interests.
- Past attempts to create broad-based national rural organizations (Rural America, the Rural Coalition, and the National Rural Center) have largely failed due to issues like funding, mission creep, organizational structure, and leadership.
- Despite past failures, there is a widespread agreement on the need for a national rural policy organization to advocate for rural communities, particularly disadvantaged ones.
- Such an organization should have strong leadership, a clear mission (with a suggested focus on rural economic development), a well-defined constituency, and a robust organizational strategy that emphasizes research, dissemination, advocacy, brokering information, and networking.
- Effective strategies for a new organization include “retailing” policy research (short, timely, and understandable products), strong dissemination efforts (including media work and executive branch engagement), and building active networks with constituents.
- Funding challenges are significant, with foundations and corporations being the most realistic sources, while government contracts and endowments offer other possibilities.
- The report concludes that the current economic crisis in rural America and a growing awareness among non-rural advocates present a critical opportunity for an action-oriented policy research institute like REPP to emerge as a key national player on rural economic issues.
